Plundering of the belongings of Imam Husayn (a.s.) and the wailing of the womenfolk of Ahlul Bayt

Sayyid Ibn Tawoos relates, that a maid came out of the tents of Imam Husayn (a.s.) and a man told her, “O maid of Allah! Your master has been killed”. She says, I hastened to my lady and started lamenting, seeing this all the ladies arose and started wailing.

It is said that then the army jointly proceeded further to plunder the tents of the Progeny of the Prophet (S) and the light of Zahra (a.s.)’s eyes, besides looting the veils off the ladies’ shoulders. The daughters of the Prophet (S)’s family and his household started wailing together and wept upon the loss of their associates and friends.

Hameed bin Muslim says that when a woman from (the family of) Bakr bin Wael, who was accompanying her husband, who was along with Umar bin Sa’ad, saw that the army had advanced towards the women’s tents while looting their veils, she pulled out a sword and turning towards the tents called out, “O family of Bakr! They are looting the daughters of the Prophet of Allah (S). There is no judgment and no decree except with Allah! Arise to avenge the blood of the Prophet of Allah!” Hearing this, her husband seized her and took her away.

It is related, that the ladies were drawn out of the tents and the tents were set on fire. The women of the Prophet’s family were bareheaded, bare-feet and marauded similar to the ones in captivity. They were disturbed and wandered while saying, “By Allah! Take us to the spot of the martyrdom of Husayn”. When their sight fell upon the martyrs, they started wailing and beating their faces. It is said: By Allah! I cannot forget that Zainab (a.s.), the daughter of Ali (a.s.), wept upon Husayn (a.s.) and called out in a grievous voice,

“O Muhammad, salutations of the heavenly angels upon you! This is Husayn, who has fallen down with body smeared in blood and bodily components cut asunder, while your daughters have been captivated. I complain to Allah! And also to Muhammad Mustafa (S)! And Ali Murtaďa (a.s.)! And Fatemah Zahra (a.s.)! And Hamza, the Master of Martyrs! O Muhammad (S)! This is Husayn, who has fallen down in the desert, while the wind is gasping upon him, and he is killed at the hands of the illegitimate ones. O griefs! O trials! Today my grandfather the Prophet of Allah (S) has departed from the world! O companions of Muhammad (S)! Come and behold the Progeny of Mustafa (S) being seized similar to the captives”.

In another narration the following words have been related,

“O Muhammad (S)! Your daughters have been seized and your Progeny killed. The wind is gasping dust upon them. This is Husayn, his head severed from the nape while his cloak and mantle have been looted. My father be ransom upon the one whose army was marauded on Monday! My father be ransom upon the one, the cord of whose tents was broken up! My father be ransom upon the one, meeting whom is not possible now and whose wounds are incurable! My father be ransom upon the one on whom I ransom my life! My father be ransom upon the one who died in sorrow and thirsty! My father be ransom upon the one whose beard dripped blood! My father be ransom upon the one whose grandfather is Muhammad al Mustafa (S)! My father be ransom upon the one whose grandfather is the Prophet of the Lord of the heavens! My father be ransom upon the grandson of the guided Prophet! My father be ransom upon Muhammad al Mustafa (S)! My father be ransom upon Khadijatul Kubra (a.s.)! My father be ransom upon Ali al Murtaďa! My father be ransom upon Fatemah Zahra (a.s.), the mistress of the women-folk! My father be ransom upon the one for whom the sun turned back so that he may offer Prayers!”

The narrator says that by Allah, hearing this, each and everyone, whether friend or foe, wept. Then Sakinah (a.s.) embraced the corpse of her father and the Bedouins gathered around and pulled her away from him.

It is related in Misbah of Kaf’ami, that Sakinah (a.s.) said, that when Husayn (a.s.) was martyred, I embraced him and fell unconscious and I heard him say,

“O my followers (Shi’ah) remember me when you drink water! And lament upon me when you hear about any traveler or martyr!”

Hearing this I arose with fright while my eyes were hurt due to weeping, then I started beating my face.1

1. Ibn Abd Rabbah in his Iqdul Fareed, relates from Hammad bin Muslimah, from Sabit, who relates from Anas bin Malik, that when we had buried the Prophet of Allah (S), Sayyidah Fatemah Zahra (a.s.) approached me and said, “O Anas! How did your heart consent when you poured earth upon the face of the Prophet of Allah (S)”? Saying this she wept and called out, “O my dear father! You consented when your Lord desired meeting you. O my dear father! The one with whom his Lord is near .......... (until the end)”.

The state of Fatemah (a.s.) was thus after the burial of her father, then what would have befallen Sakinah (a.s.) when she beholded her father’s body drenched in blood, with head severed, and robbed off his turban and clock, with fractured and bent back? Then she described her state in the following words: “How could your heart consent when you killed the son of the Prophet of Allah (S), how could you crush his chest which was a treasury of the ‘Righteous Knowledge’”?

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